My Frugal Miser - February Income: $7,736

My February income was comparable to January.  All of my rental properties were occupied, and I finally received a small rent check from the management company for the two townhouses I rented at the start of the year.  I received rental income from all but one property last month.  My tenant in Townhouse #3, who is seriously behind on rent, did make a partial payment on March 1st, but he's going to have to do better or I will need to file eviction.  Mystery shopping income would be higher, but the company where I made the majority of my income, Maritz Research, has fallen behind on approving shops for payment.  That should mean better payouts in March.

February Income $7,736

$1,784 Mystery Shopping
$5,932 Rental Income

$20 Other Sources

Notes:.  

• I don't include transactions in my retirement accounts.  This includes rental income, dividends and capital gains and losses.
• I include merchandising and hospitality work in the mystery shopping category since the companies that I shop for provide this extra side work. 

My Frugal Miser - February Expenses: $1,665

In February my spending was in check.  I have a goal in 2014 of spending less than $20,000 this year, which is $1,667 per month.  I spent $2 less than my goal.

There are few areas where I can make further cuts.  Last month I spent $95 on a new kitchen faucet.  My auto insurance is only paid twice a year so I won't have that expense again until August.  The food category is the only place where we splurged, and spending $193 on two people isn't exactly ostentatious.

I will report higher expenses in March.  I booked two flights over the weekend:  one for the Berkshire Hathaway meeting in May and the other for the Biglari Holdings meeting in April.  I will also spend more on fuel.  I don't have any gas station audits lined up the rest of the month (no more free gas) and will be traveling to Orlando three days for a hospitality event I am staffing.  Finally, our mystery shopping Hawaii trip in coming up.  I will have added expenses for food and entertainment while there.

February Expenses:  $1,665

$267 Auto ($265 for 6 mos. insurance, $103 for fuel, $100 income from accident)

$0 Bank Fees
$0 Clothing
$0 Computer
$40 Entertainment (movies, gambling, alcohol)
$193 Food
$0 Gifts Given

$752 Household/Housing/Home Repair
$245 Health and Dental Insurance
$0 Investment Expenses

$0 Medical/Dental
$50 Miscellaneous
$14 Personal Care

$5 Subscriptions
$0 Taxes

$99 Utilities
$0 Vacation and Recreation